1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to bearer documents, and, more particularly, to interactive electronic bearer documents and interactive electronic bearer document databases.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, cash, or hard currency, is the most widely used and acceptable form of payment for non-electronic transactions worldwide. For electronic transactions, however, such as e-commerce transactions, cash as a form of payment may not be used. Instead, payment for electronic transactions is generally provided by a credit card account or bank account which is directly linked to the identity of a purchaser involved in the electronic transaction.
However, several problems exist with current e-commerce transaction settlement systems. For instance, users may be unwilling to purchase certain items on-line as the purchase of such items is directly linked to their identity. Current e-commerce settlement systems do not provide the buyer with anonymity, as cash normally provides for regular off-line purchases. Further, a majority of the world's population do not have access to credit card or bank accounts, and, therefore, may not perform electronic transactions at all.
Therefore, a need exists for a method which enables hard currencies to be used as payment in electronic transactions so that purchases may be anonymous. Furthermore, a need exists to eliminate the requirement for purchasers to have credit card or bank accounts to perform everyday electronic transactions.